The embodiments described herein relate generally to the trucks of a skateboard, and more particularly, to a skateboard truck with improved ride characteristics and control thereof.
Skateboards are a known means of activity and transportation. Skateboards generally include a deck, a pair of trucks, and a set of bearings and wheels. In some instances, a skateboard can be designed to have a particular set of riding characteristics, designed for a particular riding style, and/or designed for other predetermined functions. For example, a longboard is commonly used as a means of transportation or for “cruising” due at least in part to the fluidity of motion. In some instances, the arrangement of the trucks and/or the manner in which the trucks are mounted to the deck can similarly result in differences in ride characteristics. For example, in some instances, trucks can be mounted to the bottom surface of a deck and can be configured so that wheels to spin freely without contacting the bottom surface of the deck. In other instances, trucks can be coupled to the top surface of a deck and can be configured to “drop through” an opening in the deck. In some instances, such “top-mounted” trucks, for example, can have a lower center of gravity relative to “bottom-mounted” trucks, which can result in different ride characteristics. While the design of some known trucks can be associated with a particular set of riding characteristic, riders may have or may develop personal preferences in ride characteristics. Some known trucks, however, are limited in an amount of adjustment in the truck's ride characteristics available to a user.
Thus, a need exists for improved devices and methods for adjusting the ride characteristics of a truck (e.g., a skateboard truck).